Chemical Analysis

Wednesday, 5th March 2014 – Following on from our highly successful talk about Forensics in February, our own Marguerita McBride will talk about Chemical Analysis.

It’s a complex world we live in – physically (as well as politically, socially, financially, culturally, and so on!) – and there are many processes used in analysis of the chemical, physical and biological properties of materials. 

This presentation is about some of the types of analysis linked to Chemistry and the impact of those on many aspects of everyday life. Some reference will be made to the Electromagnetic Spectrum we looked at in November, eg Infra Red, Ultra Violet, but other methods may perhaps be less well known and yet every bit as important and interesting. How do we know the formulae of so many complex chemicals, for instance, or that we are ‘over the limit’ or that an athlete has taken a banned substance?

It’s all down to Chemical Analysis, and the modern tools and techniques used. Come along and find out more about it.

Forensics in Criminal Investigations

Wednesday 5th February 2014 – The Use of Forensics in Criminal Investigations. Stuart Kirby, who retired from the police service with the rank of Detective Chief Superintendent, and who now lectures in Criminology at Lancaster University, came along to tell us about the use of Forensics in criminal investigations. Popular television programmes such as CSI and Silent Witness have stirred interest in this area, and Stuart enlightened us as to the lack of real science in many of the stories.

He was entertaining yet informative, and had a very easy style of delivery, so the 96 people who attended were rewarded with a great afternoon.